"At some point, we as men in our communities have to put our foot down, man," said a user named tahirjahi, in what was a common theme among commenters. "These things happen in poor communities, but they spread, like crack and gun violence."

The media buzz around Derrion's death has also contributed to the rise of another trending topic, #stoptheviolence.

But despite the global attention Twitter provides, the grievers also admitted a sense of powerlessness against random violence.